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Whether it’s for fashion or beauty, the Dior gardens have always been at the heart of the Maison. Born in Granville, a seaside town in Normandy, France, it was there at his childhood home in Villa Les Rhumbs where the late Christian Dior discovered the beauty of flowers and honed his horticultural skills learnt from his mother, Madeleine.

Throughout his illustrious career, the prolific designer would incorporate nature or rather, garden-inspired elements into his designs, with the more iconic ones being the embroidered ‘May’ meadow ball gown in 1953 and hand-stitched ‘Muguet’ Lily of the Valley dress in 1954.

When it came to fragrances, it was only natural for the couturier to look to flowers as inspiration too. The House’s first fragrance birthed in 1947, Miss Dior, was “born of those Provençal evenings filled with fireflies when green jasmine serves as a counterpoint to the melody of the night and the earth.’” This set the tone for other fragrances to come with J’Adore and later, new interpretations of Miss Dior, all featuring opulent floral notes.

Having inherited the legacy of the Dior gardens, Christian Dior Parfums introduces the Dior Cultural Gardens initiative with the aim to encourage valuable discussion between artists and gardens, as well as to maintain the links between creativity and nature. This initiative will see the luxury brand sponsoring several garden exhibitions in Paris. Here’s what to expect: